


Five Stages Of Grief

by 1337wtfomgbby



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grieving, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not sure what exactly he is, force ghost, ghost - Freeform, google translate is my beta, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:07:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28429779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1337wtfomgbby/pseuds/1337wtfomgbby
Summary: Following a deadly conspiracy against late jedi master Nigati Hardcase has trouble dealing with his grief.
Relationships: Hardcase/CT-6116 | Kix
Kudos: 1





	1. Catalyst

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, let me just preface this by saying that this is exactly the way my brain will think of longer stories most often. I'll do one chapter for a challenge and my brain will come back to that plot over the course of a few months or even a year.  
> This is Chapter 16 of 'Down with Love', Chapter 32 of 'As good as it gets' and Chapter 19 of 'Jingle all the way', plus a fourth chapter that will hopefully be the end of this plot (glares at brain).
> 
> I didn't write it this way to hopefully have you read the rest of my fics, even though that would be smart, this is just the way my damn brain works. I just decided to put it all here so you won't need to jump around between three seperat fics.

„So, what do you want to talk about?“ Hardcase asked as he walked through the door and into the small office.  
As he had his head still turned towards Fives he only noticed the other trooper present as the ARC had already shut the door behind him, effectively sealing off his escape route.

„What is this?“ Hardcase asked, looking at the other occupants of the room.  
His gut feeling told him something was really off as he was looking at Rex, Echo and Wolffe collectively.  
„Sit,“ Rex said, pointing him at a chair.  
Hardcase raised a brow at his tone. „You gonna beat me up if I don't?“  
„That has been discussed but I was sadly overruled,“ Rex said curtly, pointing at the chair again. „Now sit!“

Hardcase decided to do as he was told before Rex would disregard their vote entirely.  
He couldn't help but snort as Echo started to fiddel about with a monitor, while mumbeling, „we just want you to listen to something.“  
„That recording again?“ Hardcase chuckeled mirthlessly, „I already told you it doesn't sound familiar to me.“

„Oh, we think it does,“ Wolffe said darkly.  
Hardcase listened to the recording again, two voices talking in a trivial way about the death of the late jedi Master Nigati.  
He didn't say so but he was about 99.9% sure he knew at least one of the voices. There were phrases and accentual hints he really only knew from Kix.

But instead of saying so he only shrugged. „Doesn't sound familiar to me.“  
Echo shook his head with a grim expression. „Really,“ he chuckled, „Because we think it damn sure sounds like Kix.“  
Hardcase was admittedly proud of himself for controling his reaction so well. „Really?“ he raised a brow.  
„Yeah really,“ Fives said, and Hardcase flinched as Fives rested his hands on his shoulders. „I would think you of all people would recognize his voice.“

Hardcase shuddered, before shaking off Fives' hands. „Or maybe you are mistaken,“ he hissed.  
„Possible,“ Wolffe shrugged.  
„What about Resol?“ Hardcase asked, sensing the four weren't sold on him not recognizing the voice at all. „If anyone knows what Kix sounds like it's him.“  
„He decided to not talk at all,“ Rex explained, „we have put him into lockup.“

That revelation had Hardcase gulp involuntarily. Echo, that damn attentive bastard, noticed and readied the recording to play again. „Listen.“ He held up his hands as Hardcase made to say something. „No, really listen to it.“  
He played the recording again and Hardcase was forced to listen to it all over again.

 _„I just don't get why now. He has been causing problems for so long in the 7th,“_ the voice that he was sure was Kix said.  
_„We had no opportunity to get to him until now,“_ the other voice replied.  
_„Fine, I'll do it,“_ Kix said, _„but next time, make sure you got someone from Shezmu take care of it.“_  
_„What? A Peitho not able to kill a jedi,“_ the other chuckled.  
_„Don't twist my words, sweety,“_ seemingly Kix hummed in answer, _„just saying. This is not exactly my job. But I'll make sure to treat it like a normal day.“_

The last sentence Hardcase had heard Kix say in person, as he had walked in on the medic a few nights prior to what had happened. He hadn't told anyone about it, not even Jesse, but that's why he was so sure the trooper in the recording was Kix.  
Something must have shown on his face as Rex leaned closer. „Look, we also don't want this to be true but we have to accept the possibility that the truth is not going to be pretty.“

„But,“ Hardcase started before breaking off. He still struggled with confirming their suspicion or denying it. In the end something pulling in the back of his mind had his mouth moving without him wanting it to. „I just don't get how he could do something like this.“  
Rex threw a glance over his shoulder at Wolffe, Echo already activating his comm to get a hold of medical.

„We don't either,“ Fives assured him.  
„Seems like we can't even trust our own anymore,“ Wolffe huffed.  
Then Echo made them all quiet down. „Then send someone to find him,“ he hissed into his comm before turning towards them all. „He isn't in the infirmary. Stitch said Kix wanted to talk to commander Tano about something.“

„Krif,“ Rex cursed before they all ran from the room.  
Hardcase felt himself moving on auto pilot. Even though he felt tired and heavy and would like to just stay seated his body moved by it's own accord. He didn't knew how long it took for them to find the two but when they did nothing really seemed to be amiss.  
In fact commander Tano seemed utterly perplex about Rex suddenly barking at Kix to step away from her. 

Time seemed to slow down as Hardcase watched the realization wash over Kix' face like a tidal wave. He reached for the blaster at his side but before he could even raise it a bolt of plasma hit him straight in the chest. 

Hardcase watched him stumble backwards and his legs giving way from under him before he realized with horror that it had been him that had fired that shot.  
With that horrifying realization time started moving the way it should again.  
hardcase's blaster cluttered to the ground uselessly as he rushed foreward and fell to his knees next to the medic. 

Trembling hands pulled the limb body into his lap.  
Hardcase knew the shot was fatal but also knew that Kix was a damn stubborn son of a bantha.  
While he clumsily touched Kix' face Kix raised his hand to take a hold of Hardcase's chest armor. „Kinda had the feeling,“ he gurgled haltingly, „it would be you...“  
Hardcase felt as if the whole world was all wrong. All of this didn't make sense. 

„I don't understand,“ he sobbed, „who are you working for?!“  
But instead of answers all he got was Kix' hand going limp and his eyes not closing anymore.  
Hardcase felt as if his heart had just been shredded.  
He didn't even register Fives pulling him away from Kix' dead body until he was struggeling in the ARC's grip. 

None of them said anything, not even commander Tano, they all just stared from him to Kix' body and back again.  
For Hardcase it was all a blurr, between his uncontrolable sobbing and phases where he thought he had himself back under controle only to start crying again.  
Had it all been a lie? Had Kix just faked all there had been between them?  
Had his _'I love you'_ been a lie?  
A voice in the back of his mind, that sounded distinctively like Kix, told him, _„none of it was a lie.“_

But that didn't make it any better.  
Hardcase's mind tried rationalizing the situation, tried protecting him from what had just happened. Kix' voice in the back of his mind that said, _„it's alright 'case. I'm not mad,“_ didn't help at all.  
In the end Hardcase was thankfull that commander Tano touched his forehead and everything went black.

**Later on in lockup:**  
Resol looked up expecting Rex in the doorway, but instead found Cody and Havoc there.  
„They exposed him,“ the Alpha-ARC said curtly.  
Resol's eyes widened, exposure always meant death. 

„It's all your fault,“ he hissed angrily, “had you put someone of shezmu on him-“  
Havoc help up his hand, stopping Resol dead in his tracks. „You're being reasigned to the inner circle,“ the ARC said, „they know you were at least complicit.“  
„The kriffing least you could do,“ Cody hissed, in agreement with what Resol was thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came to be after a little Fringe marathon, the dialogue in the challenge reminded me extremely of when Olivia listens to the phonecall between Stenson and John and realizes John had been doing some sketchy shit with the people responsible for flight 627.
> 
> The organization Kix, Resol and Cody are working with is part of a longer story I'm still working on (I'm hoping Mr. Brain lets me finish it in 2021), but I so often get ideas where I can include them as a plot bunny for myself.  
> Basically, the 'Alekto Program' says it protects the interests of the clones, but that more often than not translates to killing jedi general or others that endanger the trooper. General Nigati had been causing havoc around the 7th Heavy Armory, causing the deaths of many trooper.
> 
> In the Program the Shezmu are the trooper that usually carry out assassionations, and Peitho are trooper that have a hand for getting others into the program.


	2. Anger, Denial and Isolation

It all started mere days after the whole thing with Kix had went down.  
At first it were shadows that looked extremely familiar, and whispers of a voice Hardcase knew all too well.  
Then the apparition started to take shape and the voice became clearer, until Hardcase found himself staring back at Kix, late at night in the mess hall.

He was so surprised that he dropped the cup of caf he'd been holding, and grabbed his blaster off his hip, but as soon as he had raised the weapon Kix had been gone again.  
That night Hardcase hadn't been able to find sleep again.  
He was debating whether or not to talk to someone about it.  
He would've liked to talk to Resol, but he wasn't there anymore. Shortly after the whole thing with Kix had transpired Rex had been informed that the medic was missing from his lockup cell.

In the end Hardcase decided to mention it to Jesse.  
„He just stood there,“ Hardcase explained, „and when I grabbed my blaster he vanished.“  
Jesse nodded his head slowly, face scrunched up in concentration. „Are you sure you saw him?“ he asked, „you weren't... you know.“  
„No, I wasn't sleep deprived,“ Hardcase said.  
„I don't know,“ Jesse said contemplative, „It was a lot to take in and Echo told me you weren't sleeping that well.“  
Hardcase threw his head back to stare up at the ceiling. „Forget it,“ he finally huffed, „talking about that was a mistake.“ With that he got up and left, without paying any regard to Jesse's protests.

The next time was in a turbo lift, again, late at night.  
Hardcase had been heading from the freshers to the barracks, and felt his stomach drop as soon as he saw a figure he recognized to be Kix standig in one of the elevators.  
The doors closed before Hardcase could get to it, and in the spur of the moment Hardcase had went into the other lift, and headed to the same floor the first lift had. 

When he got there the doors to the elevator were still open, but the chamber itself was empty.  
Thinking he was turning crazy, Hardcase turned on his heels to head back into the elevator he had taken and to the barracks but someone blocked his way.  
Hardcase stumbled back a step as he came face to face with the apparition that was Kix.

 _„Wow, carefull there,“_ the ghost said, talking and sounding just like Kix, and Hardcase had to swallow.  
Kix looked paler than he had been in life, and looked more like he did just before he had died.  
Hardcase's gaze lowered to the scorched hole in Kix' chest. 

„You can't be here,“ Hardcase said forcefully, „I'm going crazy. What are you doing here?!“  
The last question was snapped angrily, and they both knew why there were tears springing to Hardcase's eyes.  
Kix stepped foreward and wiped them away, and Hardcase flinched again, but was otherwise entirely frozen. How could Kix be touching him? He was dead, Hardcase had watched him die.

„How can you be here?“ Hardcase whispered, leaning into Kix' touch despite himself.  
_„I don't know,“_ Kix admitted, the touch of his hand was turning cold, before it disappeared altogether, and within the blink of an eye Kix was gone again.

Hardcase didn't knew if he should attribute that encounter to sleep deprivation too, he didn't feel too tired. But what else should he be thinking.

The next time was just after a battle.  
Hardcase had been injured, just a graze at his side, but it had him moving slower than usuall.  
He hung back behind the others, and was happy for it, as Kix appeared to him just as the others had rounded the corner of the hallway they were walking through.

 _„How did you let this happen?“_ Kix hissed, appearing right in his face, Hardcase almost bumping into him.  
„Force!“ he cursed, pressing a hand onto his chest, his heart racing against his palm, „What are you doing here!?“  
_„You got hurt,“_ Kix said, pointing at Hardcase's side, as if that was enough explanation.  
„Yeah. So?“ Hardcase hissed, walking around the apparation in a wide circle, so it wouldn't be able to reach out and touch him.  
_„So?“_ Kix echoed, turning with his movement, so that his eyes weren't leaving Hardcase. _„I'm worried about you.“_

„Worried?“ Hardcase snapped, „you weren't worried about killing Master Nigati!“  
Kix exhaled a big breath, how there could be any air movement around him was a mystery to Hardcase, and looked to be searching for an explanation. _„There are things about me that I didn't tell you.“_  
„No shit,“ Hardcase snorted sarcastically.

„Hardcase, are you coming?“ Tup had appeared at the end of the hallway.  
Hardcase looked back and realized that the apparition was gone. „Yeah,“ he said grimly, and went off down the hall to rejoin the others.

„Are you going to leave any time soon?“ Hardcase asked annoyed, once he noticed the apparition again, as he was alone one night in the fresher.  
_„Don't know,“_ Kix said, shrugging. 

Hardcase sighed, spitting out the toothpaste into the sink before turning to Kix fully.  
„Explain it to me,“ he demanded, „explain to me why you turned against your own general. Explain to me why you became a traitor.“  
_„Were you on geonosis?“_ Kix asked and Hardcase shook his head; he hadn't been fully grown at that point. 

Kix nodded, taking a stedying breath.  
_„Well, that battle was a desaster. The jedi we were assigned to not only didn't knew how to deal with an army, she also didn't care how many of us she got killed. 'Force knows we have spares', she said,“_ Kix shrugged, _„I guess I just burned a fuse.“_

And that's when Hardcase realised that Nigati hadn't been Kix' first. „How many others were there?“ he asked.  
_„Only those two,“_ Kix said, _„As I said, that's not exactly my job.“_  
That was the thing. „Who were you working with?“ Hardcase asked, remembering the second clone that had been on the recorded comm call.  
Kix shook his head. _„I kept this from you for a reason.“_  
Hardcase threw his hands in the air. „You are dead, Kix!“ he exclaimed.  
_„And they aren't,“_ Kix countered grimly, _„I won't be the reason you manage to uncover it.“_  
And, just like that, he was gone again.

They did come to the conclusion that there had to be more people in this conspiracy than just Kix and Resol.  
Getting Resol out of lockup and making him disappear was quite a feed, and Kix talking about 'Peitho' and 'Shezmu' had them surmise that this conspiracy had to be big enough to warrant some kind of structure from within. 

The next time Kix appeared, as Jesse noticed the necklace around Hardcase's neck.  
„Wait,“ he said, pulling until he could take a look at the ring dangling from the necklace, „Is that-“  
Hardcase pulled back as if Jesse's touch had burned him, and tugged the necklace back into his top. „Doesn't matter!“ he said curtly.

Jesse stared at him for quite some time. „Did Kix?--“  
„It doesn't matter, Jesse,“ Hardcase growled decidedly, „He was a traitor and everything he told me was likely a big fat lie!“  
_„No, it wasn't,“_ Kix said from where he had appeared at his shoulder.  
„Shut up!“ Hardcase snapped, glaring at the apparition.

„Erm, I... wasn't saying anything,“ Jesse said carefully, eyeing him with open confusion.  
Hardcase felt his face heat up, before he jumped to his feet. „Excuse me,“ he said curtly, before walking off.  
Jesse looked after him, watching him mumble to himself and move his hands as if he was explaining something to someone. 

„When are you finally going to leave?“ Hardcase asked exhausted, once he had found them a secluded enough place, as the apparition refused to dissipate.  
_„Sweety,“_ Kix hummed, cupping Hardcase's face between his hands, his eyes were sad but open, _„You're the one calling me here.“_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kix got into the program basically the way he said. He burned a fuse on geonosis and killed their jedi general as she was willing to 'throw resources at a lost battle', the resources being the clones.
> 
> And Kix did give Hardcase a ring; he didn't straight up ask him to marry him, he just knows that Hardcase is romantic like that.


	3. Depression and Bargaining

Hardcase would say that it wasn't even that bad but that would be a pretty big lie.  
It was extremely bothersome that Kix' ghost had apparently decided to hang around him because, at some point, Hardcase started to forget that he was the only one able to see Kix.

He would be talking to Kix in the mess hall and earn himself some raised brows before he realized what he was doing.  
Kix would appear in the worst times imaginable and have him flinch and stammer to explain himself.  
More than a couple of times he had appeared in front of Hardcase when he had gotten himself hurt and scolded him for being so reckless.

Hardcase tried to ignore the apparition but that only made it worse.  
Kix would continue to appear, being quiet most of the time, he just stood off to the side and watched him.  
More than once Hardcase asked Kix why he didn't leave, and more than once Kix told him, _„Sweety, you're the one calling me here.“_

It got so bad that Hardcase saw no other option but to ask somebody else about it. He debatet for quite some time and in the end decided that he would likely have the most success if he straight up asked a jedi about it. Though he didn't feel comfortable asking the general, which was why he ultimately decided to ask commander Tano.  
„Erm, this may be a strange question,“ Hardcase started, wringing his hands -Kix, who was standing at his shoulder, looked at him encouragingly- „but have you ever experianced that the memory of somebody who's died follows you around like, erm, kinda like a ghost.“ He chuckled awkwardly and turned towards Kix, who shrugged his shoulders.

As Hardcase turned back towards the commander Ahsoka's brows had pulled together into a frown, but she didn't seem to judge him.  
„I mean, yeah, there are force ghosts,“ she said thoughtfully, „but I don't know if that's what you've been experiancing.“  
„Probably not,“ Hardcase mumbled as Kix shook his head.  
Ahsoka's frown deepened as she looked directly at where Kix' apparition was standing.  
„Is he here with you now?“ she asked.  
Hardcase nodded slowly. „You can't see him?“ he asked quietly, and his heart sunk as Ahsoka shook her head. 

„No. But I can feel a presence,“ she said with a small smile. And for some reason that smile made Hardcase feel even worse than he already did.  
„He won't leave,“ he said, looking over at Kix who was still smiling at him encouragingly.  
„Does he talk to you?“  
„Well, yeah,“ Hardcase said, still feeling like he was going crazy, even though Ahsoka had told him that she could feel Kix' presence as well.  
„What does he say?“  
„All kinds of stuff,“ Hardcase said, „He's mostly scowling me for getting hurt. Telling me to eat, drink and sleep enough. Nagging me not to paint Tup's helmet green.“ He rolled his eyes at Kix' snicker.

„Hardcase. I meant, what does Kix say when you ask him to leave?“ Ahsoka asked, and the sweet, calming tone of her voice made Hardcase's stomach turn.  
„He says that I'm the one that's calling him here,“ he mumbled quietly.  
He could feel Kix' eyes on him, and knew that the medic was looking at him with this half amused, half exasperated look; the exact same look that Ahsoka was now giving him. 

„You know, sometimes the memories of someone that was close to us and that is now gone can stay behind because they have unfinished business,“ she explained patiently, „or because a person close to them isn't ready to let them go just now.“  
Hardcase swallowed heavily. „So,“ he said slowly, afraid that as soon as he'd put what he needed to do into words Kix would be gone, „you're saying that I'm the reason Kix is sticking around.“  
Ahsoka nodded, and Kix looked at him as if he was a mother who's child just called them 'mom' for the first time. 

Hardcase had hoped that this wasn't what it would boil down to, because he honestly didn't knew if he would ever be able to let Kix go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kix isn't really a force ghost but something else, that's why Ahsoka can feel his presence but neither see nor hear him.


	4. Acceptance

It took a few days for Hardcase to really think about what commander Tano had said.  
Sure, he had already assumed that he would have to let Kix go, but that didn't make it any easier. 

Kix also didn't make it any easier. He continued to hang around, he wasn't talking much but that didn't help at all. He would just be staring at him, and every time Hardcase didn't look at the apparition he still felt like he was being watched.

Then it seemed like more and more of the others started to catch onto it.  
Jesse would ask if he needed someone to talk to, saying that Hardcase was staring off into space so much that it made him feel strange; when Hardcase was actually staring at Kix.  
Fives tried talking him into doing some pranks, as Hardcase had stopped doing them right after Kix' death and they were nearing the second full week without any paint in helmets or bugs in beds.  
The whole company had been kinda relieved at first but now it freaked out most of his brothers.  
Even the captain had pointed out one or the other space that could've been easily climbed.  
Tup continued frowning when Hardcase was talking to, what Tup would assume air, and Hardcase was honestly surprised Tup hadn't told anybody about it.  
Then again, maybe he had and Hardcase had just not noticed.

Through all of it Hardcase hadn't dreamt about Kix.  
Sleep seemed to be the only time where he wasn't plagued by the apparition of the medic, or by what had transpired that day two weeks ago.  
So when Hardcase started dreaming about that day, reliving the moment where he had shot Kix, how the medic had crumbled to the ground and breathed his last in his arms, Hardcase knew that he couldn't continue like this.

„We need to talk,“ Hardcase said, he could feel Kix' apparition appear immediately and stare at him.  
It was right after a battle, Hardcase had finished it unscathed this time, even though he was running on barely four hours of sleep since two days ago.

Hardcase took a deep breath and then took up all his courage to look the apparition right in the eyes.  
„I'm sorry,“ he said. Kix tilted his head, as if asking him what he was sorry for and Hardcase gulped. „I'm not sorry for shooting you. You are a traitor, you killed general Nigati, but... I'm sorry for keeping you around.“  
Kix' mouth pulled into a small smile and he shrugged. _„It's okay,“_ he said. almost off-handedly. 

He stepped closer, strange how the apparition was moving so unlike what Hardcase had read about ghosts, and once Kix was close enough he raised a hand and pressed it to Hardcase's chest, right where his heart was.

The touch felt strange, it always did. It didn't feel cold or dead at all but warm and strangely alive.  
It took Hardcase a moment to look from Kix' hand back up to the medic's face, and the warm smile on Kix' lips made him gulp again. Kix tilted his head.  
„Was it ever real to you?“ Hardcase asked and Kix smile got that soft tinge that it always had when Kix had been patching up someone who probably wasn't gonna make it.

 _„It was always real to me,“_ Kix said, his hand rubbing the back of Hardcase's neck as their eyes stayed locked, _„still is.“_

Hardcase knew, deep down he knew, that Kix was being honest.  
_„And I forgive you,“_ Kix continued and Hardcase felt himself draw back in confusion. He'd been so focused on their strange little love confession that he had already forgotten that he'd apologized to Kix for keeping him around as a ghost.  
As soon as Hardcase had cought up and focused back on Kix' warm smile his stomach felt odd. 

He tried to read Kix' expression, his eyes were open and honest albut his smile was slightly silly, but he looked genuine.  
„Really?“ Hardcase asked, needing absolution, though he suspected it wasn't really Kix' to give.  
_„Sure,“_ Kix said easily, _„it's too late now anyway.“_

Hardcase gulped but Kix still looked at him with that smile and way too open understanding in his eyes. It was as if Kix knew, just like Hardcase did deep down, that this would be the last time they'd be able to talk to each other like this.  
Hardcase didn't knew if he was sad about that or relieved, his emotions were all over the place; but sadness seemed to be the most prominent one.

 _„I just need you to do me a favor,“_ Kix said smiling and Hardcase rolled his eyes.  
„You can't keep me from getting hurt,“ Hardcase said, going for joking and feeling all weird.

Kix smiled and chuckled, which soon made Hardcase laugh as well.  
It felt easy, like it used to be between them, not this sad and painfull which it had been for the past two weeks.  
Hardcase realized, once he stopped laughing, that Kix was smiling at him as if Hardcase was the most beautiful thing Kix had ever seen. But a second later that smile lost some of it's intensity and Kix looked at him with that muted smile he used to have whenever Hardcase had gotten himself hurt doing somthing stupid.

 _„You have to forgive yourself for what happened that day,“_ Kix said and Hardcase's stomach felt like it was plummeting.  
Masking his unease Hardcase laughed again. „Force, you're so annoying,“ he chuckled awkwardly, and Kix shrugged. Only a moment later Hardcase fell silent and his face lost all joy.  
„Honestly, I'm not sure if I can,“ he said, which was what he'd been afraid of this whole time.

He knew Ahsoka was write in what she had said, that he was keeping Kix around because he still hadn't found closure for what had went down that day.  
Kix had been a traitor but that did little to comfort Hardcase because, at the end of the day, he had still killed the man that he loved.

 _„You don't have to feel guilty for what you did,“_ Kix said, and Hardcase felt the warm touch of Kix' hand against his cheek; he looked up and met Kix' eyes, _„You did what you had to do. I'm not mad, Hardcase.“_  
It still didn't quite feel like absolution but Hardcase did feel like a big weight lifted from his chest. Kix' smile grew again and he layed his hand back against Hardcase's chest.

 _„And don't worry, I'm still gonna stick around,“_ Kix' said lightly; Hardcase's chest felt all warm all of a sudden, _„After all, I can't let you out of my sight for more than a minute.“_  
Hardcase laughed and felt lighter and more at ease than he had in two weeks.

„Hardcase?“ Tup asked and Hardcase turned towards his voice quickly. He'd gotten pritty quick over the last couple of weeks, what with everybody constantly asking him why he was talking to the air or himself. 

„Who are you talking to?“ Tup asked, predictably. And as Hardcase looked back at where Kix' apparition had been mere moments ago there was nothing there, and Hardcase knew that there never would be again. 

„Nobody,“ he said easily, shrugging his shoulders, „I was just talking to myself.“  
The warm feeling in his chest seemed to tingle even more and Hardcase grinned.  
„Say,“ he hummed, laying an arm around Tup's shoulders, „How about we revamp Fives' kama. I think he could use a new design.“  
Tup looked pretty taken aback as he stumbled along beside Hardcase, but the feeling in Hardcase's chest was all warm and content.  
Kix hadn't gotten in on his shenanigans very often but right now he seemed to be all on board.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Kix is gonna stay with Hardcase, not as a ghost but as a memory.


End file.
